Ballet’s evolution is inseparable from the music that inspires it. As we move deeper into 2025, dancers and choreographers are blending classical masterpieces with contemporary compositions—creating performances that resonate across generations. Here’s a curated list of the most compelling music choices for ballet this year.
The Timeless Classics
Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake
No ballet playlist is complete without Tchaikovsky. In 2025, reinterpretations of Swan Lake (especially the "Black Swan Pas de Deux") dominate experimental productions, with dancers emphasizing its haunting modernity.
Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring
Choreographers are revisiting Stravinsky’s primal rhythms for avant-garde pieces. Its dissonance pairs perfectly with bold, angular movements in contemporary ballet.
Modern Mavericks
Ludovico Einaudi’s Seven Days Walking
Einaudi’s minimalist piano works are 2025’s go-to for emotional solos. Tracks like Cold Wind and Gravity offer a canvas for fluid, introspective choreography.
Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm
Their collaborative album Trance Frendz fuels immersive, tech-enhanced performances. Think projection mapping synced to Frahm’s looping piano—ballet meets digital art.
Unexpected Gems
Hania Rani’s On Giacometti
Polish composer Hania Rani merges electronic textures with classical piano. Her work is a favorite for narrative-driven contemporary ballet.
Kelsey Lu’s Blood
This genre-defying cellist/vocalist brings ethereal, operatic tones to ballet. Choreographers use Poor Fake for dystopian-themed pieces.
Pro Tip: In 2025, the most viral ballet performances layer these tracks with AI-generated visual scores. Experiment with tempo-shifting apps to customize pieces for your routines.
What’s on your ballet playlist this year? Drop a comment or tag us in your rehearsals!
